Overseas migration has played an important role in changing Australia's population. Between 1995 and 2000, 1.4 million people arrived in Australia intending to stay for one year or more (table 5.29). This includes permanent (settler) arrivals, Australian residents returning from an overseas trip of 12 months or more, and overseas visitors intending to stay 12 months or more in Australia. About 879,000 people left Australia for overseas on a permanent or long term basis in the five years to June 2000, including Australian residents emigrating or going overseas for 12 months or more, and overseas visitors leaving Australia after staying for 12 months or more. In 1999-2000, for the first time, net long-term movement made a greater contribution to net overseas migration than did net permanent movement (56,100 people compared with 51,200).

Because population estimates include permanent and long-term movers and exclude short-term movers, adjustments are required for the net effect of changes in travel intention from short-term to permanent/long-term and vice versa. For example, an Australian resident may state on departure an intention to stay abroad for less than 12 months (a short term movement). If this resident remains overseas for 12 months or more, he or she has changed travel category from short to long-term and is regarded as a category jumper. Estimates for category jumping ensure that the estimated population reflects the population who are usually resident in Australia.

5.29 NET OVERSEAS MIGRATION COMPONENTS - Five Years Ended 30 June

1985

no.

1990

no.

1995

no.

2000

no.

Arrivals

Permanent (settlers)

468,052

616,139

462,605

438,633

Long-term

Australian residents

269,673

272,723

346,239

391,295

Overseas visitors

158,983

226,047

311,384

536,297

Permanent and long-term arrivals

896,707

1,114,875

1,120,228

1,366,225

Departures

Permanent departures

109,889

108,003

142,385

166,771

Long-term

Australian residents

242,559

269,080

332,683

391,231

Overseas visitors

112,637

150,421

237,421

321,246

Permanent and long-term departures

465,093

527,501

712,489

879,248

Category jumping

11,779

70,139

–96,011

–25,231

Net overseas migration

443,393

657,513

311,728

461,746

Source: Australian Historical Population Statistics (3105.0.65.001).

There has been a significant change in the source countries of permanent arrivals, with settlers arriving from more diverse regions of the world in the late 1990s compared to the late 1960s. In the five years to June 1970 almost half (47%) of settler arrivals to Australia were born in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and the top six countries of birth represented 75% of all settler arrivals in Australia. In the five years to June 2000, the United Kingdom and Ireland contributed 12% of settlers and the top six countries of birth represented 54% of settler arrivals. New Zealand contributed the largest number of settlers in the five years to June 2000: 80,600 persons, or 18% of the total (table 5.30).

In 1999-2000, 92,300 people arrived in Australia intending to settle,the majority of these (57%) arriving as part of the Migration Program. Another 8% arrived as part of the Humanitarian Program, while 34% were eligible to settle in Australia because of their New Zealand citizenship. The remaining 1% were in other categories such as overseas-born children of Australian citizens.

The number of visas issued to prospective settlers varies significantly from year to year. So too does the balance between the types of visas issued. Skilled migration is a volatile component of the migration intake. Table 5.31 shows that in the six years to 1999-2000, the proportion of settlers arriving under the skilled migration category ranged from 23% in 1994-95 to 35% in 1999-2000. Of skilled migrants arriving in 1999-2000, 24% came from Europe (about three-quarters of whom were from the United Kingdom and Ireland), while South-East Asia and Africa (excluding North Africa) contributed 18% each. North-East Asia (16%) and Southern Asia (15%) also contributed relatively high proportions of skilled immigrants to Australia during 1999-2000.

In 1999-2000, 22% of settlers came as part of the family component of Australia's immigration program. The birthplaces of these immigrants partly reflect past migration patterns. About 24% were born in Europe, 23% were born in South-East Asia, and a further 18% were born in North-East Asia.

Of the 7,300 settlers arriving as part of the Humanitarian Program, 3,300 (46%) came from Europe, almost all of whom were from Southern and Eastern Europe (in particular, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia). A further 2,500 immigrants (35%) arriving on humanitarian visas were born in North Africa and the Middle East.

Over the last two decades, the countries of Asia (South-East Asia, North-East Asia and Southern Asia regions) have become an increasingly important source of both settler and long-term visitor arrivals.

Before the 1970sthe number of settlers from Asia was small, but following the final dismantling of the White Australia Policy in the early 1970s, and the acceptance of refugees from the Viet Nam war, the number of migrants from Asia began to increase.

Generally, the level of permanent arrivals from Asia has followed the patterns of total permanent arrivals, reflecting the constraints of the Migration and Humanitarian Programs. The number of Asia-born arrivals has fluctuated markedly, peaking in 1990-91 (60,900 arrivals) (see graph 5.32). In 1999-2000 a total of 31,100 settlers born in Asia (34% of all settler arrivals) arrived in Australia.

Graph 5.33 shows that levels of long-term visitor arrivals from Asia have increased greatly over the last ten years, after being very low during the 1970s and early 1980s. Arrivals in 1999-2000 (70,100 or 53% of all long-term visitor arrivals) were over ten times as high as in 1979-80 and almost three times as high as in 1989-90. The main reason for this growth has been the increasing number of students travelling to Australia from Asia for educational purposes. In 1999-2000 three-quarters of all Asia-born long-term visitor arrivals were for education.

Country of birth

Since the end of World War II Australia has experienced large yearly increases in population due to a combination of high fertility and high levels of migration. In 1947 the proportion of the population born overseas was 10%, but by June 2000 this proportion had increased to 24% (see table 5.39). As well as this increase, there has been a diversification of the population. In 1947, 81% of the overseas born population came from the main English speaking countries (the United Kingdom and Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the United States), mainly from the United Kingdom and Ireland. By June 2000, only 39% of the overseas born population had been born in the main English speaking countries.

For the last few decades, the Italian, Greek and Dutch born populations in Australia have been declining. The major migration flows from these countries occurred immediately after World War II, and there has been relatively little migration more recently. As these populations have moved into the older age groups, they have experienced high numbers of deaths. Furthermore, small numbers of people are returning to their countries of birth in their retirement.

5.39 MAIN COUNTRIES OF BIRTH OF THE POPULATION

Country of birth

1901(a)

’000

1947(a)

’000

1954(a)

’000

1961(a)

’000

1971(a)

’000

1981(b)

’000

1991(b)

’000

2000(b)

’000

United Kingdom and Ireland

679.2

541.3

664.2

755.4

1,081.3

1,175.7

1,244.3

(c)1,164.1

New Zealand

25.8

43.6

43.4

47.0

74.1

175.7

286.4

374.9

Italy

5.7

33.6

119.9

228.3

288.3

285.3

272.0

241.7

Former Yugoslav Republics

n.a.

5.9

22.9

49.8

128.2

156.1

168.0

210.0

Viet Nam(d)

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

n.a.

0.7

43.4

124.8

174.4

China

29.9

6.4

10.3

14.5

17.1

26.8

84.6

168.1

Greece

0.9

12.3

25.9

77.3

159.0

153.2

147.4

141.2

Philippines

n.a.

0.1

0.2

0.4

2.3

15.8

79.1

123.0

Germany

38.4

14.6

65.4

109.3

110.0

115.2

120.4

120.2

India

7.6

n.a.

12.0

14.2

28.7

43.7

66.2

110.2

Malaysia

n.a.

1.0

2.3

5.8

14.4

32.5

79.9

97.6

Netherlands

0.6

2.2

52.0

102.1

98.6

100.5

100.9

90.6

South Africa

n.a.

5.9

6.0

7.9

12.2

28.0

55.8

80.1

Lebanon

n.a.

n.a.

3.9

7.3

23.9

52.7

78.5

79.9

Poland

n.a.

6.6

56.6

60.0

59.5

62.1

69.5

68.3

Indonesia

n.a.

n.a.

3.6

6.0

7.7

16.4

35.4

67.6

United States of America

7.4

6.2

8.3

10.8

26.8

30.6

49.5

65.0

Hong Kong (SAR of China)(e)

0.2

0.8

1.6

3.5

5.4

16.3

62.4

56.3

Total overseas-born

852.4

743.2

1,285.8

1,778.3

2,545.9

3,110.9

3,965.3

4,517.3

Australia

2,908.3

6,835.2

7,700.1

8,729.4

10,173.1

11,812.3

13,318.8

14,639.8

Total population(f)

3,773.8

7,579.4

8,986.5

10,508.2

12,719.5

14,923.3

17,284.0

19,157.0

(a) Census counts.(b) Estimated resident population at 30 June. (c) Excludes Ireland.(d) Includes Cambodia and Laos for 1971. (e) Includes Macao. (f) Includes country of birth 'Not stated' and 'At sea' for 1901 to 1971.

Population estimates for 2000 identified 24% of the population as overseas-born. The 1996 Census showed that 27% of persons born in Australia had at least one overseas-born parent; that is, they were second generation Australians. The variety and size of second generation populations reflect past migration and intermarriage patterns. In long established overseas-born populations, such as those from the United Kingdom and Ireland, and from northern and southern Europe, second generation Australians account for more than half of the total population. In more recently arrived groups, such as persons born in Viet Nam and China, second generation Australians form a smaller part of the birthplace group. This is illustrated in table 5.40.

5.40 FIRST AND SECOND GENERATION AUSTRALIANS - 1996(a)

Country

Overseas-born
’000

Second generationAustralians
’000

Total
’000

United Kingdom

1,072.6

1,444.5

2,517.0

Italy

238.2

333.9

572.1

New Zealand

291.4

200.0

491.4

Former Yugoslav Republics

175.4

131.3

306.7

Greece

126.5

153.9

280.5

Germany

110.3

139.3

249.6

Netherlands

87.9

142.5

230.4

Viet Nam

151.1

46.8

197.8

Lebanon

70.2

82.6

152.8

Ireland

51.5

95.1

146.6

China

111.0

40.2

151.2

Philippines

92.9

35.2

128.1

India

77.6

43.8

121.3

Malaysia

76.3

30.6

106.8

South Africa

55.8

28.1

83.9

Total

3,901.9

3,365.5

7,267.4

(a) 1996 Census counts, not estimated resident population.

Source: ABS data available on request, 1996 Census of Population and Housing.

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